Import/export HS code 520420: Retail-packaged cotton sewing thread
Cotton sewing thread sold in ready-to-use retail packages
Why this is important if you are looking for potential customers in the UK:
- It helps you understand the market size for your product in the UK.
- It provides you with a list of potential leads who have bought similar products.
* UK only, last 24 months analysed
Imports by country
What this shows: Import market volume by exporter country into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 869,679 |
| Germany | 413,298 |
| Pakistan | 103,785 |
| India | 97,773 |
| Netherlands | 66,702 |
Countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month volume, right side by second 12-month volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 474,282 | 395,397 | -78,885 |
| Germany | 188,604 | 224,694 | +36,090 |
| Pakistan | 59,455 | 44,330 | -15,125 |
| India | 34,475 | 63,298 | +28,823 |
| Netherlands | 32,528 | 34,174 | +1,646 |
| United States | 29,560 | 34,749 | +5,189 |
| South Africa | 28,392 | 7,769 | -20,623 |
| Hungary | 22,560 | 0 | -22,560 |
| France | 10,002 | 4,024 | -5,978 |
| Greece | 4,535 | 9,458 | +4,923 |
Imports by country of origin
What this shows: Import volume by production origin country. Differences from exporter-country data can indicate re-export routes.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 876,932 |
| Turkey | 191,284 |
| Greece | 175,503 |
| India | 108,822 |
| Pakistan | 107,992 |
Country of origin rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 475,356 | 401,576 | -73,780 |
| Turkey | 0 | 191,284 | +191,284 |
| Greece | 149,423 | 26,080 | -123,343 |
| India | 34,475 | 74,347 | +39,872 |
| Pakistan | 63,662 | 44,330 | -19,332 |
| United States | 24,584 | 31,814 | +7,230 |
| Netherlands | 24,341 | 19,985 | -4,356 |
| Italy | 35,737 | 5,106 | -30,631 |
| South Africa | 28,392 | 7,769 | -20,623 |
| Czechia | 13,080 | 12,207 | -873 |
Importers across UK regions
What this shows: Number of importing companies by UK ITL2 region.
Top 5 values
| UK region | Companies |
|---|---|
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 5 |
| Essex | 4 |
| Inner London - East | 4 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 4 |
| West Midlands | 4 |
UK regions rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: UK regions are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month importer count, right side by second 12-month importer count, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| UK region | First 12m | Second 12m | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey, East and West Sussex | 4 | 2 | -2 |
| Essex | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Inner London - East | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | 4 | 1 | -3 |
| West Midlands | 3 | 3 | +0 |
| West Yorkshire | 2 | 4 | +2 |
| Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| Greater Manchester | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Inner London - West | 3 | 1 | -2 |
| Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 2 | 1 | -1 |
Import volume by transport
What this shows: Import value by transport mode used to bring goods into the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 711,862 |
| Air transport | 548,201 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 411,563 |
| Other | 100,280 |
| Road transport | 3,938 |
Transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 315,539 | 396,323 | +80,784 |
| Air transport | 310,187 | 238,014 | -72,173 |
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 197,350 | 214,213 | +16,863 |
| Other | 94,510 | 5,770 | -88,740 |
| Road transport | 2,709 | 1,229 | -1,480 |
Import volume by port
What this shows: Import value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover | 310,756 |
| Birmingham Airport | 245,755 |
| Felixstowe | 220,760 |
| Southampton | 165,226 |
| Liverpool Docks | 160,038 |
Port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month import value, right side by second 12-month import value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 134,602 | 176,154 | +41,552 |
| Birmingham Airport | 139,594 | 106,161 | -33,433 |
| Felixstowe | 99,770 | 120,990 | +21,220 |
| Southampton | 113,616 | 51,610 | -62,006 |
| Liverpool Docks | 22,380 | 137,658 | +115,278 |
| 000 | 94,510 | 5,770 | -88,740 |
| Grangemouth Docks | 48,210 | 40,444 | -7,766 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 56,452 | 32,122 | -24,330 |
| 499 | 27,086 | 42,987 | +15,901 |
| East Midlands Airport | 35,916 | 27,277 | -8,639 |
Importer companies by SIC division
What this shows: Industry breakdown (SIC divisions) of importing companies.
Top 5 values
| SIC | Companies |
|---|---|
| Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 23 |
| Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 18 |
| Manufacture of textiles | 4 |
| Office administrative, office support and other business support activities | 3 |
| Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities | 2 |
Importer companies over time
What this shows: Monthly count of unique importing companies.
Latest 5
| Month | Companies |
|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 7 |
| 2025-11 | 7 |
| 2025-10 | 10 |
| 2025-09 | 8 |
| 2025-08 | 7 |
Top importers
What this shows: Companies with the highest number of months traded for this HS code.
| Company | Months traded |
|---|---|
| GROVES OF THAME LIMITED | 72 |
| KORBOND INDUSTRIES LIMITED | 56 |
| HABICO LIMITED | 44 |
| TINYYO LIMITED | 36 |
| OVERSEAS TRADING LIMITED | 31 |
| EUROPEAN QUILTING SUPPLIES LIMITED | 29 |
| POUNDLAND LIMITED | 26 |
| HAIR ORNAMENTS UK LIMITED | 26 |
| THE WORKS STORES LIMITED | 23 |
| ANCIENT WISDOM MARKETING LIMITED | 20 |
Importer company size by revenue band
What this shows: Distribution of importers across company revenue bands.
Top 5 values
| Revenue | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1m-15m | 29 |
| 54m+ | 10 |
| 0-1m | 9 |
| 15m-54m | 7 |
| Other | 2 |
Import seasonality
What this shows: Average monthly import pattern from historical data.
Exports by country
What this shows: Export market volume by destination country from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Country | £ |
|---|---|
| Italy | 55,377 |
| France | 34,672 |
| Poland | 26,515 |
| North Macedonia | 23,925 |
| Ireland | 23,784 |
Export countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Destination countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export volume, right side by second 12-month export volume, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Country | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 15,609 | 39,768 | +24,159 |
| France | 15,739 | 18,933 | +3,194 |
| Poland | 16,177 | 10,338 | -5,839 |
| North Macedonia | 0 | 23,925 | +23,925 |
| Ireland | 7,777 | 16,007 | +8,230 |
| Germany | 19,151 | 2,423 | -16,728 |
| Spain | 14,348 | 6,227 | -8,121 |
| China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 5,040 | 14,894 | +9,854 |
| United States | 11,707 | 2,240 | -9,467 |
| Belgium | 11,284 | 0 | -11,284 |
Exports by country of origin
What this shows: Export volume by production origin country. For re-exports, indicates where goods originated before UK export.
Top 5 values
| Origin | £ |
|---|---|
| China | 9,611 |
| XI | 4,419 |
Export origin countries rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Origin countries are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Origin | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2,107 | 7,504 | +5,397 |
| XI | 4,419 | 0 | -4,419 |
Export volume by transport
What this shows: Export value by transport mode used to ship goods from the UK.
Top 5 values
| Transport | £ |
|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 212,422 |
| Air transport | 72,037 |
| Other | 14,030 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 4,712 |
| Road transport | 883 |
Export transport rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Transport modes are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Transport | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roll on Roll off (RORO) | 91,482 | 120,940 | +29,458 |
| Air transport | 38,683 | 33,354 | -5,329 |
| Other | 6,526 | 7,504 | +978 |
| Sea transport (not vehicle on ferry) | 0 | 4,712 | +4,712 |
| Road transport | 883 | 0 | -883 |
Export volume by port
What this shows: Export value handled by each UK port.
Top 5 values
| Port | £ |
|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 148,077 |
| Dover | 48,306 |
| East Midlands Airport | 36,172 |
| ZLC | 22,412 |
| 000 | 14,030 |
Export port rank shift: first 12 months vs second 12 months
What this shows: Ports are on both sides of the Sankey. Left side is sorted by first 12-month export value, right side by second 12-month export value, so rank changes are visible from line crossings.
Top 10 values
| Port | First 12m £ | Second 12m £ | Delta £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover / Eurotunnel | 79,475 | 68,602 | -10,873 |
| Dover | 9,662 | 38,644 | +28,982 |
| East Midlands Airport | 27,694 | 8,478 | -19,216 |
| ZLC | 5,923 | 16,489 | +10,566 |
| 000 | 6,526 | 7,504 | +978 |
| London Heathrow Airport | 1,940 | 6,308 | +4,368 |
| Immingham Docks | 1,094 | 6,569 | +5,475 |
| Holyhead | 1,251 | 5,829 | +4,578 |
| London Stansted Airport | 4,009 | 2,079 | -1,930 |
| London Gateway Port | 0 | 1,764 | +1,764 |
Quick facts
HS code: 520420
Coverage: United Kingdom, most metrics for the last 24 months
Description: Cotton sewing thread sold in ready-to-use retail packages